The Boston Marathon is right around the corner–well maybe not right around corner, but it’s rapidly approaching! We know many of you have been trudging through the winter weather to prepare for your spring marathon. We sat down with Brooks Elite athlete, Amy Hastings, to hear how her preparation for the Boston Marathon has been progressing.

Q: Last year, after much deliberation you made the tough decision to not run the Boston Marathon after planning to be among the elite field. Now that you getting closer to experiencing the historic course for the first time, how are you feeling?

Amy: It was really tough pulling out of Boston last year but it was the right decision. Things weren’t coming around and I wasn’t in a position where I could compete with that field. I was also worried that if Boston didn’t go well I would of been going in to the track season tired and rushing to make it work, then I would have been tired going into a fall marathon. I have been in that cycle before and it’s a tough one to pull yourself out of, so I decided to take a step back, recover and slowly build into 2014. Now I am in a good cycle with a huge base and some good races behind me. That has given me a lot of confidence going into Boston this year. I am feeling good and so excited to get out on that course so I can show everyone the work I’ve done over the last year!

Q: What advice has your coach or teammates given you about this particular course?

Amy: Boston favors the prepared. The drop in elevation over the first half of the course is brutal so I’ve done some downhill runs and will do some tempo or interval workouts on the first half of the course. I have run the last half of the course a bunch so I know what to expect for the Newton hills.

Q: During your training segment thus far, what has been your favorite part?

Amy: If I had to pick one thing I would say long runs. I have always loved long runs and being back in my college stomping grounds (Tempe, AZ) has made them even better. However, my marathon training is all about consistency day in and day out. There have been no glamourous workouts just solid ones over a very long period of time. I get way more excitement out of two months of consistency than one crazy workout.

Q: What has been the most challenging part of your Boston training?

Amy: Last year it was the weather. This year I’m spending January and February in Tempe, AZ so the most challenging thing is the actual training itself which is the kind of challenge I love to take on. I was hoping to spend some more miles on the course but I am going to have to wait and see how the weather plays out in March in Boston to see if I can make that happen.

Q: How did the Chicago Marathon prepare you for the Boston Marathon?

Amy: Chicago was all about getting back in the game. My PR was from 2011 and I hadn’t raced a good marathon since early 2012. I wasn’t looking for anything spectacular just a race to get me back on track. Now Boston I am looking to take a step forward and have my best marathon to date!

Q: What will be the highest priority in terms of focus for the next 12 week training segment leading up to Boston?

Amy: Consistency, consistency, consistency. It’s really easy to run one workout too hard and set yourself back a week. I want to get as close to that line without going over it everyday for the next 12 weeks.

Q: You’re about two months out from Boston, overall how are you feeling?

Amy: EXHAUSTED!!!!! But that’s okay, normal even. Ask me again in two and a half weeks and I’ll be ready to roll!

Q: What are your goals for the 2015 Boston Marathon?

Amy: I want to have my best marathon ever. That doesn’t necessarily mean a PR but when it’s all said and done I want it to be my best performance to date.

Are you training for Boston? We want to hear about how your training has been going! Comment below or tweet us @brooksrunning.

About Melissa

In my past life, I was a collegiate runner. Now, I happily run in Brooks Ravennas or Ghosts. If all my running shoes were turquoise in color, I would not complain.